Monday, January 17, 2011

Five Day Weekend coming to a close.

We had an Ice Day on Thursday, so it's been a really long weekend.  I've enjoyed it.  Doing illustrations, went and took pictures at the Maniac Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

It's been raining like crazy here.  Yesterday we had a short respite, so I took Penny the Wonderdog for a long walk.  The town was like a ghost town.  Noboday out doing anything.  A few people here and there on the main street through town.  But downtown?  No one.  Empty.  So very quiet.

The creek is rushing along, brown with mud.  About 6' from the bridge.  We'll see how high the water is later this week - more rain predicted.

The fish in the pond are enjoying the warmer weather.  They're moving about instead of sitting at the bottom.

Dogs, cat, and I happily huddled in the house, warm and cozy.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

How I get my toys

"I" as in "I get to use" a Cannon T1i, with two 2.8 lenses.  One at 70-200, one fixed 115 with Macro.

They are not mine.  The reason I get to use them is this:





Do I work for the local paper?  No.

Am I a hobbiest?  No, that wouldn't pay for the equipment.

I am a High School Yearbook Advisor.  I also teach Visual Media as part of a Professional Technical program in Idaho.  So, I'm in charge of getting the pictures.  Sometimes the kids sign up to do them, sometimes I take a student with me to train, and other times I go for fun.  This was a fun game.  Alas, we did not win (our shooting ratio needs to be better), but it was a GREAT GAME.

Taking pictures of the students is a BLAST.  The athletes are amazing, the kids that come to cheer are awesome,  the band is wonderful.  I love my MANIACS!!!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

No new pics today...

So into the archives I go!

This past summer, Mr. Fleuron and I put in a new pond.  I sited it, did the sketches.  He completely built the pond.  I did the landscaping work around it.  The landscaping is barely started.  This summer my whole garden budget is going into perennials for this border, the front yard, and the hill.

And here we go...

Before we started digging everything up, in late June.


First we sited it out, then put a soaker hose around it so Mr. Fleuron could dig.  The ground was pretty hard and dry in July.  That is Hanna the Fabulous Rottweiler checking it out.


And the digging commences...


1st layer completed


Penny the Wonder Dog Supervising


Laying in the liner.  Luey helping Dad.  Once again, Penny the Wonder Dog making sure things get done just right.


Cut the liner, put in the final blocks, fill and switch fish to new pond.  A little bit of landscaping started.


At the end of the summer you have...
Happy Fishies


And Happy Wildlife!



I can hardly wait until what it looks like by next August!  Even through the winter, it has been lovely.  A little bit of icing over, some snow on that.  Fishes are hibernating at the bottom of the pond.  The winter birdies have been sipping from it, and one even took a very brisk bath!


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Pajama Day!

Last Sunday before the return from Winter Break, so I just hang out in my pajamas all day.

I was sitting on the sofa surfing, and Pumpkin joined me.  The camera was sitting on the end table, so I snapped some pics of her.

This is where Big Old Dogs nap when the whole sofa is occupied by other furry creatures.


This picture was taken the other day by Mr. Fleuron.  The ice on the pond is intriguing.  The water is clear all the way to the bottom, so we can see the fish laying there hibernating.  One of them was really active the other day when it got up to the 30's.  Seeing a fish swimming around our little pond in January is not a common thing.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Look!

I decided to name this something I was likely to actually write about.  I'm pleased with the banner I made.

It is very cold here today.  Like the picture below, but frozen solid.


Hanna got a Christmas present because I joined a Secret Santa on My Smart Puppy.  Here she is enjoying one of the presents.

Tonight I'm going to go see "Tangled."  Supposedly, it has a really good villian.